Roger Thurow’s “The Last Hunger Season” event in Chicago

ONE Regional Field Director Tzviatko Chiderov talks about his experience at a recent Chicago Council event with Roger Thurow.

As Chicagoans, not only are we fortunate to have the Chicago Council in our backyard, but to also to have author Roger Thurow call our city his home. When these two come together, it’s a guaranteed great time. Last week’s Chicago Council event with Roger Thurow focused on his new book “The Last Hunger Season“, and it didn’t disappoint. The room at The Chicago Club was full of people eager to soak in Roger’s stories of farmers’ success made possible by providing access to seeds, fertilizer and basic training. Roger’s captivating speech made all of us feel closer to the places in rural Kenya he was describing, and hopeful about the lives of farmers being greatly improved by their hard work and the resources provided by One Acre Fund.

Roger also spoke more generally about the great potential of investing in smallholder farmers, as a way to put the continent on a sustainable path out of poverty. He argued that Westerners should stop seeing African farmers as too poor, too insignificant, and too remote and start getting to know them.

Roger made sure to tell people who were inspired to make a difference that one of the best ways to help and ensure these successes are sustained and amplified, is to engage in advocacy activities. He praised ONE and our members for the amazing work being done and urged more to get involved.

Thank you Roger Thurow and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs for a great evening full of hope and inspiration!